Report: EUKI Networking Event Czech Republic and Slovakia 2025  

From the outcome of the recent Czech parliamentary elections to the implementation of ETS2 or the effective communication of climate action, participants had the chance to exchange views and deepen partnerships —following the title of the keynote speech— amid and despite political shifts in Central Europe. 

Czechia and Slovakia: Fighting Climate Change, Advancing European integration 

The day was inaugurated with a Gallery Walk in which participants could get a first-hand impression of selected EUKI projects in the region. Slovak Ambassador in Prague Martin Muránsky and Dr. Martin Schmidt, Head of the Economic, Climate, and Science Department at the German Embassy in Prague, participated in this Project Showcase with informal presentations by project representatives of Empowering Roma Communities in the Green Deal, Renewable Chance for Future, Implementing the EU Methane Emissions Regulation and the A+ Approach to Enhance Energy Transition. 

Following this first opportunity for exchange, the German Ambassador in Prague Dr. Peter Reuss and Slovak Ambassador Martin Muránsky officially opened the EUKI Academy Networking Event. Ambassador Dr. Reuss dedicated his first words to the ongoing COP30 in Belém, reminding the audience of the spirit of not only EUKI, but all European cooperation in the field of environmental politics: “Working over and across borders has a double effect: we fight climate change, but we also decisively contribute to the project of European integration.” His Slovak counterpart zeroed in on the challenges faced by his country. As an export-oriented economy with a substantial share of GDP tied to industry, the decarbonisation of this emissions-intensive sector is especially arduous. Nevertheless, Slovakia is making progress, he added. The last coal mine closed in 2024, and owing to the strong presence of non-fossil fuel energy sources in the energy mix, the country is expected to soon become a net exporter, which would enable it to decisively help Ukraine. The Director of the Center for Transport and Energy (CDE) Ondřej Mirovský closed the Official Opening with timely remarks on the cross-border necessities of both Czech Republic and Slovakia. With a similar economic structure, added to a very connected transport network and energy sector, it is imperative to advance towards a more integrated connection to the energy grids of Western Europe and particularly Germany. The need for more interdependence should not be limited to that area: exchange on the government and civil society level is the key to overcoming polarisation and working towards the common goal of a climate-neutral continent. 

“Working over and across borders has a double effect: we fight climate change, but we also decisively contribute to the project of European integration.”

Dr. Peter Reuss, German ambassador to Czechia

The ‘man on the moon’ moment: Between competitiveness and deregulation 

The keynote speech by the Association for International Affairs’ (AMO) Head of Climate Tomáš Jungwirth Březovský provided the audience with another highlight of the day. His first words perhaps encapsulated best the current Zeitgeist: “Six years ago, Ursula von der Leyen solemnly announced that the European Green Deal was to be the ‘man on the moon moment’ for the Union. Now we can say: Lunar missions tend to be exorbitantly expensive and sometimes disastrous.” The fault lines underlying the Deal are numerous and evident. From political opposition to the decarbonisation of our economies, to military conflicts, rising commodity prices, non-linear technological advances, and last but not least, climate disasters leaving a painful mark already today. Echoing the late French philosopher Bruno Latour, he concluded, earth triggered by humans becomes much more a political actor itself.  

Mr Jungwirth Březovský also scrutinized the EU’s climate policy framework and its legislative process, whose integrity is being increasingly undermined when sealed deals are reopened, e.g. the ban on internal combustion engines, the Nature Restoration Law or the legislation on corporate responsibility. This raises the question of whether the mantra of the day is no longer competitiveness and simplification, but rather uncontrolled deregulation. In the view of the Czech climate expert, if the EU recedes in its ambitions, other powers like China will happily step in and push for climate diplomacy as it already has in the field of green tech. In this vein, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism will be an even stronger litmus test on the EU’s ability to raise the bar in global climate action. Notwithstanding the current difficulties, Mr Březovský offered a hopeful outlook in his conclusion: “Those decisions that are ours to make should be made with purpose, they should be made with a sense of direction.” 

Reclaim climate action, harness the benefits of ETS2 

The ensuing panel discussion displayed a great variety of voices, not only between the two countries, but also between the different policy levels: from ministerial representatives to city councilors and members of civil society. The new Czech government vertebrated the first few exchanges, with an inimical position towards climate action and non-governmental climate policy actors being the most probable scenario in the coming years.

The ensuing panel discussion displayed a great variety of voices, not only between the two countries, but also between the different policy levels: from ministerial representatives to city councilors and members of civil society. The new Czech government vertebrated the first few exchanges, with an inimical position towards climate action and non-governmental climate policy actors being the most probable scenario in the coming years. Petr Holub, Director of the Climate Protection Section at the Czech Ministry of the Environment, soothed some of the most worrying viewpoints. Shifting political equilibria are not new, he posited, the key should be to adjust accordingly. When climate deniers deny the ideological impulse of their attacks and present opposition to climate action as the more rational choice, our task should be to invert the concepts and advocate more strongly: Climate action is not ideological, but precisely the most rational choice for the future of our economies, our societies, and our environment.

Heda Čepelová from CDE amplified this sentiment: “Ten years ago, we politicised climate to put it on the agenda. Now there is no way out of the political fight.” Moreover, she championed the idea of public interest as a key lever to catalyze public opinion in favor of climate action. Personal or business interests in a greener future are true and laudable, but only a holistic approach that underlines the benefits to society more generally, as well as in the pursuit of intergenerational solidarity, will be able to secure a livable future for all. The implementation of ETS2 also gathered much attention.

“Ten years ago, we politicised climate to put it on the agenda. Now there is no way out of the political fight.”

Heda Čepelová, Centre for Transport and Energy (CDE)

Zuzana Fialová from Climate Coalition Slovakia bemoaned the underexplored potential of civil society input to better cushion the impact of the Scheme: “We have lots of data on the matter, we are almost suffocated by data. But policy makers are not making use of it.”

Jaromír Beránek, Chairman of the International Relations and EU Funds Committee and the Prague Municipal Assembly, elaborated on the possibilities offered by the Social Climate Fund in the transport sector. The income generated by ETS2 will be a great opportunity to bring money back to the people, reward environmentally friendly, and disincentivize environmentally harmful behavior. As a novel stream of income, ETS2 could also be harnessed to alleviate historical struggles with long-term investment planning, according to the Kristína Mojzesová, policy expert at the Value for Money Unit of the Slovak Ministry of Finance. In consequence, clear investment objectives for the next years are of central importance to make public spending more effective and efficient. 

The afternoon sessions offered participants the chance to exchange perspectives in the format of two parallel workshops on energy communities and sustainable urban mobility hosted by SAPI and Frank Bold, and CDE respectively. In the former, insights into the EUKI project COMMENCE kickstarted a stakeholder mapping in community energy.

In turn, CDE Director Ondřej Mirovský drew back on his long-time experience as councilor for transport and security of Prague 7 and provided an overview of the key challenges and trends shaping urban mobility in the 21st century. Participants explored topics such as modal split, the role of public transport, micromobility, urban logistics, and the growing importance of climate adaptation in city planning. Using interactive group exercises, attendees worked on designing a 15-minute city concept for the city district Prague 7.  

To close the Networking Event, partners at the STEM Institute for Empirical Research hosted an insightful workshop on how to communicate climate action effectively. Based on the institute’s extensive research, the facilitators explored how to communicate sustainability and climate action more effectively through compelling storytelling, strategic framing, and the use of social media. In the second half, participants were invited to adopt specific roles in a fictional scenario resembling the challenges faced by many Central and Eastern European just transition regions. 

Climate neutrality in Central Europe: The rational and indispensable choice 

Overall, the EUKI Academy Networking Event in Prague showed that despite political headwinds and rising climate delayism, Czech and Slovak actors remain committed to advancing climate action through cooperation, evidence-based policy, and stronger alliances between civil society actors. National governments have an important role to play. All panelists converged on a critical point: When policy makers attack green NGOs, they ultimately harm their own prospects. Civil society thus must strike a difficult balance: to stand firm and defend what has been already achieved yet also continue to reach out to ministries and offer its expertise in the pursuit of the public interest. The discussions underscored that maintaining ambition requires not only technical solutions — such as effective use of ETS2 revenues and better investment planning— but also resilient institutions, cross-border partnerships, and strategic communication. Long-term vision and the shared understanding of climate action as both rational and indispensable: discussions to be pursued in the future: the upcoming EUKI Conference in Berlin next May shall be a great opportunity to this end.